GMRS questions

[Alan_Hepburn]

So, I've been told to look for a decent, low-cost GMRS radio for our Jeeps. In wandering around the internet I found a Midland GTX1000 bundle that includes a Midland MicroMobile radio and 2 of their GTX1000 handheld walkie talkies. The Amazon price for this package is $150, which fits our budget quite well! The reviews seem to be decent - the biggest complaint seems to be that the range seems to be limited, but then range is very dependent on terrain, etc.

Does anybody here have this setup and are you happy with it? Should I keep looking for something better? Is there anything better in the $150 price range?

Thanks!

 

[RoarinRow]

So, I've been told to look for a decent, low-cost GMRS radio for our Jeeps. In wandering around the internet I found a Midland GTX1000 bundle that includes a Midland MicroMobile radio and 2 of their GTX1000 handheld walkie talkies. The Amazon price for this package is $150, which fits our budget quite well! The reviews seem to be decent - the biggest complaint seems to be that the range seems to be limited, but then range is very dependent on terrain, etc.

Does anybody here have this setup and are you happy with it? Should I keep looking for something better? Is there anything better in the $150 price range?

Thanks!

I believe that's a good price. I paid almost that price for just the MTX-115 GMRS radio, nevermind the included handhelds.

 

[Wandering_Wolverine]

The Midland products have been popular recently. I definitely think they nailed the form factor. My one beef with them is that they are using narrowband on all channels. Not all GMRS channels require narrow banding and this could could interoperability problems with other radios. If everyone you know uses Midland then this won’t be an issue.

I admit I haven’t tested this myself yet to see how much impact this causes in the real world. Has anyone tested a Midland against a properly configured part 90 style radio?

 

[Desert Runner]

Before going the Amazon route, check directly with MIDLAND. They have had 15%-20% sales going on last week and yesterday (Monday). I saw those factory bundled items. Good luck

PS: I believe besides a %off, they have free shipping (minimum purchase) and a free Company logo T-Shirt going on also!

 

[OTH Overland]

I have the MTX275 in the Jeep, All controls mounted in the microphone so the radio can be mounted out of site, great option for our WJ where four radios ad a tablet are fighting for dash space. Since the CB and GMRS are usually set on a fixed channel and do not get used all that often the all in one microphone works well. can just unplug the mic and put in the glove box when not on a trip. That leaves dash room for the Ham and Scanner which get played with constantly. Have been very happy with the quality and performance of the midland. Have had a set of their handhelds and was not happy with them at all, better performance from two cans and a string..

 

[Flagtop]

@OTH Overland v cool to hear that tucking it away can work. I just picked up a GMRS radio and am thinking of where to mount it. Putting it inside the center console (2019 Sequoia, it's huge) seems good if I won't have to fiddle with it one we're en-route. Should people worry about great build-up?

 

[Prerunner1982]

@OTH Overland v cool to hear that tucking it away can work.

With the MXT275 you can put the body of the radio anywhere! Using a cat6 cable and a RJ45 panel jack you can mount the body anywhere in the vehicle and just have a clean jack in the dash to plug the mic into.
On my XJ the body of the radio is in the very back in the radio box with most of my other radios and the mic is between the front seats, works great. Of course where you want to mount your antenna will likely play a role in where you mount the radio, my antenna is on the very rear of my roof rack so it worked out well that I could mount the radio so close to the antenna and not have to run coax all over the vehicle.

 

[OTH Overland]

@OTH Overland v cool to hear that tucking it away can work. I just picked up a GMRS radio and am thinking of where to mount it. Putting it inside the center console (2019 Sequoia, it's huge) seems good if I won't have to fiddle with it one we're en-route. Should people worry about great build-up?

I have not noticed much heat from the radio, does not have a fan in it. In the WJ, I removed the pull out cupholder located in the rear of the center console and mounted the radio in its space. I left the drawer face off so there is some ventilation. All the wiring runs through the center console, with a cat 6 cable connecting the radio to the bulkhead fitting obtained from Amazon that I located in a dash panel.

In my Ram truck I located both Ham and GMRS radio bodies under the forward tray in the center console, been almost 2 years and no heat issues or failures.

I use these bulkhead fittings for all the microphones on my radios with detached faces or all in one mics, really helps to keep the cab clean looking and prevents damage to cords run thru or under things.

 

[Downs]

15 watts isn't going to generate a lot of heat so I'm not surprised they don't have a fan on it. My Motorola mobiles make more power than those and don't have a fan.

The package you linked isn't horrible. Not a bad price either. My issue with Midland handhelds (and I have 4 of them) is that they don't offer repeater capability on any of their GMRS handhelds. Seems like an oversight to me.

 

[M Rose]

My 110 watt 2meter radio doesn’t have a fan, and it gets hot enough while transmitting to cook an egg.